Hope - Abraham

Intro

We’re starting a new series called ‘All I want for Christmas is…’, this is part of the big theme this Christmas in the Church of England which is ‘Comfort & Joy’. Following last week’s announcements, we are now able to start worshipping in Church together again as from December 6th.

That’s a bit of good news in the middle of our second lockdown, the other good news is that on Sunday we start our Church season of Advent which comes from the Latin word ‘Coming’. Advent is a time when we remember Jesus’ first coming as a baby and we think of preparing for Jesus coming a second time. It’s a season where we remember that in a time of darkness the Light of the world came down, in a time of despair Hope arouse… it’s a time when in the middle of a covid crisis we’ve got faith in an extremely faithful God!

“In HIM (Jesus) was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” John 1:4-5

All I want for Christmas is HOPE

Icebreaker

What do you think is the difference between hope and false hope?

What is the difference between hope and expectation?

Do you usually have hope and expectation? Do these tend to align in your thinking?

Study

Please read Genesis 15:1-21 together

I would like us to have a look at the second half of the passage first, because you might not be aware that we are actually reading one of the most important texts of the Old Testament.

In those times, people didn’t use contracts as we know them now, they did covenants. Instead of signing a contract, they would kill a bunch of animals and cut them in half. I know it sounds very weird and it would go against a lot of what we do today, but we are talking about events thousands of years ago. They would put the halves of these animals on opposite sides and both people who were agreeing the covenant would walk around those pieces of animals with a torch. The promise they were doing was “if I don’t do my part of the covenant may I finish like these animals”, that is why a covenant was unbreakable, they just kept their promises.  

Now please read Genesis 15:8-21 again

Q1 – Did you notice that in verse 17 it says “a smoking brazier with a blazing torch appeared and passed between the pieces”? Why was there only one torch going around?

(Hint: In verse 12 we find that Abraham fell asleep, but there is more to it!)

Q2 – What does it mean that only one torch was going around? God was making a covenant with Abraham, but he was the only one ‘signing the contract’? Why do you think that is?

Many theologians believe that what God was saying in this covenant was that if either God or Abraham’s descendants didn’t do their part, he would pay the price for not fulfilling the promise. Many years later, Jesus would die on the cross fulfilling and renewing the covenant.

Q3 - These and many other promises were fulfilled by Jesus. As we reflect on God’s covenant and promises that have come to pass, what does that produce in you?

Q4 – God’s faithfulness to what he has said gives us hope, because he has promised good things for our future as well. What is our Christian hope? In what ways have you seen hope in Jesus as a life giver?

Q5 – In what ways have you seen the Church giving false hope and false expectations?

Q6 – Looking at the Bible, what real and trustworthy hope can we find?

Please have a look at Genesis 15:1-7

Q7 – What characteristics of how trustworthy God is do we find in these verses?

Let’s have a look at verse 6, one of the revolutionary verses in the Old Testament. “Abram believed the Lord, and he credited it to him as righteousness”. If you’ve got time, please have a quick look at Romans 4:1-5.

Q8 – What are your thoughts on Paul’s interpretation for Genesis 15:6?

The passage talks about a time when Abraham was discouraged because he had been promised by God in Genesis 12:1-9 “and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you” through his offspring. He was now old and he didn’t have children with his wife, so he was low, his words seem like he was depressed. But then God encourages him and he believes, God then proves to be worthy of his promise.

Prayer

Q9 – Share with each other what has God promised us, especially in these difficult times.

Spend some time thanking God for his promises and praying for each other.